Talon87: Jean listens intently while you explain Mankey's story, finally nodding thoughtfully. "Perhaps there is no trust between you because Mankey knows that deep down you have no trust in him? Wanting to trust him and actually trusting are very different things. Much like a parent calming a tantruming child, you must show that you will not stand for inappropriate behaviour. Mankey needs guidance, and you both need to work to earn one another's trust. With guidance comes trust, with trust comes friendship. This will not happen overnight, but you must start somewhere."

Both of you turn to face Carbink. "I would not worry about Carbink," Jean continues with a smile. "It is part fairy, part rock type, so can hold its own in battle against a fighting Pokémon. That is if you feel using Mankey today is a good idea. We are here to make friends, after all."

Witnessing your unease Jean smiles. "Raising a Pokémon is a great responsibility, and it is not always smooth sailing. To raise a Pokémon well you must weather the storm. The question is, are you ready to dive in the deep end? Because if you are not, you may only cause more damage. Be sure in your convictions, and go with it. Trust in your gut feelings and you're sure to be rewarded..."

"Perhaps there is no trust between you because Mankey knows that deep down you have no trust in him?" Cyrus didn't like to hear this. In the brief span of time between sentences, his mind queried whether what Jean was saying was true or not. "Wanting to trust him," Jean continued, "and actually trusting are very different things." This brought Cyrus's affronted mind to a bit of a halt. They felt heavy with the weight of reality.

Cyrus looked down at the PokéBall in his hands as he continued to listen to Jean's advice. The surface glinted in the sunlight, beckoning its holder to summon forth the creature who lay dormant inside.

Celes' eyes had been focused on the rocky oddity in front of her, but instinctively she turned around right at this moment to face her trainer. Her gaze was rooted on the ball in the palm of his hand. She watched solemnly, not saying a word, readying herself in case things went awry ...

Cyrus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Opening his eyes wide open, he gave the order: "Mankey, come!" A red beam of energy arced forth from the center of the ball. Cyrus gripped the PokéBall firmly as Mankey materialized in midair, seemingly leaping from his ball. He couldn't have traveled more than several feet but he looked like he was soaring forth, shoulders spread wide, legs flared. He landed on the ground with nimble might.

"Mankey," Cyrus called to his primate pal. The big ball of cream-colored fur turned around to face him. "Do you know why I've brought you here today?" Cyrus knelt down to meet Mankey at eye level. "It's because I wanted us to make some new friends. Together. And to become better friends ourselves." Mankey's face was impossible for Cyrus to decipher. His expression hadn't changed at all these past few seconds. Nervously, Cyrus raised his right arm and pointed towards Carbink. "Do you see that, over there? Its name is Carbink. Have you ever seen one before?" Mankey turned to look at the strange Pokémon near the grass's edge. He offered no response. Cyrus swallowed some dry spit and continued. "They spend a lot of time underground, Jean says, and so they're not very easy to find. Isn't that cool?"

Cyrus could feel the tension building. Maybe it was just in his head, he reasoned. Maybe he was just socially awkward around Mankey, too conscious of the troubles they had had in the past. But he couldn't help but worry that he was going about things the wrong way, trying though he might be to do everything right.

Celes was watching everything from the sidelines. "Don't worry, Cyrus," she thought to herself. "If anything happens, I'm ready ..." She glanced back over at the Carbink, to see what it might be doing.

Cyrus, unaware of Celes at this moment, looked towards the Carbink as well. "Let's go say hello to Carbink, Mankey," he suggested. He almost gave Mankey a gentle shove on the back but stopped himself half a second before making contact. I don't want to rattle him, he thought to himself. Let's just let things play out naturally.

After waiting ten seconds -- ten seconds that felt like ten minutes -- Mankey, without uttering a single word, began to gently walk towards the Carbink. Unbeknownst to Cyrus, the monkey's first order of business would be to probe this curiosity. Literally: if he managed to get within arm's reach of the creature, Mankey intended to firmly poke it with his finger.

EpicSquirtle: Eager to make a good impression upon his new acquaintance, Error buzzes off to start collecting materials for a makeshift shelter for Carbink. Also eager to make a good impression you help, and with Jean pitching in as well you all manage to erect a small shelter made of twigs, small tree branches and leaves within the hour. Taking a step back to admire your handiwork your heart sinks as you realise that although your heart is in the right place the materials to build a decent shelter are not. This little house of sorts will surely fall to a decent gust of wind, but despite this Carbink is overjoyed that you would go to such trouble to help it out and bops around happily. It enters its new home and peeks out, inviting Error inside, and you watch while the two Pokémon play around, zooming in and out while they chase each other around the area.

"Well they are certainly enjoying themselves," Jean chuckles, resting against a tree while the two Pokémon cavort around the area. "Why don't you tell me something about yourself while we wait for them to tire themselves out?" he asks, his eyes following Error and Carbink who it seems are already forming a fast friendship...

Treepandaone: Spending some time with Jean discussing your backgrounds and your parents, you're not at all surprised to learn that Jean had indeed felt pressured to succeed due to having such high profile and well respected parents. Oddly enough it wasn't his family who caused him feel this way however, but outsiders who often compared him to his parents. It's clear the boy is quite self-confident nowadays, though whether that comes from him raised under the guidance of a Gym Leader and Pokémon Ranger or from an inner source of strength is anyone's guess. Whatever the case, he'd had an excellent head start in life with such knowledgeable and influential parents on his side. He was very lucky. Discovering some of Jean's history has been interesting, as is meeting Carbink, a Pokémon who, though very similar to the type of Pokémon that normally interest you, is not quite your cup of tea despite being part Fairy type. Moving on it isn't long before you spy a strange looking lavendar coloured bat-like Pokémon with large yellow eyes. "This is a Noibat," Jean smiles, gazing at the creature fondly. "It is part Flying type, part Dragon type and is quite rare to find in our nation. I was lucky to find this one to bring here, I hope you like it..."

myahoo: Highly annoyed by Phantump's surprise attack on Wildfire, you recall your confused fire mouse and release Houndour to take his place. The dark firepup is pretty cluey and assesses the situation quickly, examining Phantump curiously. Throwing his head back and Howling his eagerness to start this battle Prince then looks to Phantump whose deep and expressionless gaze stares right back through him, apparently unfazed by Prince's display of self-confidence. While the two Pokémon face off you release Cyndaquil from his Pokéball, and while he's still a tad woozy from the previous attack he's also curious to see what happens next and tries to focus on the action. Phantump, meanwhile, Astonishes Prince with its dexterity, hitting the Houndour from behind. Prince growls and spins around, baring his teeth and lunging in to Bite his foe. The little ghostie is quick, though, and dodges the attack only to find itself staring down a Dark Pulse of energy that washes right over it. If Phantump had hair it would have stood on end after that attack, but instead it just sits there, hovering and staring. Its intense scrutiny is somewhat creepy but you have a sneaking suspicion this is more than just a battle to the little Stump Pokémon whose gaze turns to you, a smile appearing on its little face...

Talon87: You know this needs to be done, and while your body is tense with nerves you try to hide it as best you can as your Mankey materialises from his Pokéball. The little primate is expressionless, his poker face giving away absolutely nothing which only serves to heighten your sense of trepidation. Kneeling down to meet Mankey at his level, you tell him of your plan to befriend Carbink and urge him to join you. Taking his time to respond he eventually walks beside you, still giving away nothing of his feelings.

Jean appears fascinated by the interaction between the two of you and deliberately lags behind, ensuring to remain a good few metres away so as not to agitate Mankey. He can see Celes is prepared to jump in should things get hairy and discreetly pulls her aside.

"I know you want to protect your trainer, and it is the trait of a loyal friend to want to protect those you care for, but Cyrus and Mankey need to work out their differences one on one if they are ever to shatter this icy wall between them," he explains, hoping she understands the importance of his words. "No matter what happens, we should not interfere or we may cause more harm than good."

Meanwhile, you've managed to coax Mankey into meeting Carbink and are starting to introduce yourself to the little Jewel Pokémon when you notice Mankey slowly but surely raising his arm. At first you're not quite sure you understand what is happening, and then you don't want to understand what is happening, but watch speechless as Mankey in a slow and deliberate motion raises his finger and pokes Carbink in the general vicinity of its chest, giving it one good firm shove. Horrified, several different possible scenarios of how to handle the situation run through your mind when you surprisingly register what for all intents and purposes is a giggle. Then Mankey pokes Carbink again, slowly and firmly, eliciting another giggle. He then bonks Carbink on the head with a little more grunt than you'd like to acknowledge. Carbink doesn't giggle this time, but glints in the sunlight as it begins to Harden. This induces a small grin from Mankey who looks up at you with a glint in his eye.

"You must be careful Cyrus. Mankey is testing you," Jean warns. "He knows you want to befriend the Carbink so is deliberate in his attempt to subtly challenge it instead. However you respond, you must be firm in your convictions..."

Manon's Friend Safari - Please reply in red

Charminions: Though water isn't exactly her friend, Sheba is adamant about retrieving the stick for her new acquaintance as the item appears to be important to the little Fox Pokémon. Steeling herself for the inevitable discomfort of her imminent swim, Sheba eyes the pond water before wading in. Luckily it's not a very deep pond so she manages to retrieve the stick without any trouble, returning it to Fennekin who is overjoyed. Shaking herself off Sheba yips, alarmed, when Fennekin seems to take offence to being showered by the water she has just sprayed all over it. Small Embers spit from the Pokémon's ears confirming your suspicions that it is, indeed, a fire type, a fact that excites you greatly. Fennekin soon settles though having been more startled than annoyed by the drenching and barks playfully, racing back into the long grass.

"Oh how cute!" Manon cries, watching the little fox disappear into the grass. "Fennekin would like to play hide-and-go-seek! Would you like to play with Fennekin, Sheba?" the girl asks, clearly thrilled that even the Pokémon appear to be getting into the spirit of the friend safari...

Lass El: Quite eager to join Bergmite in its little targeting game, Sparow is set on showing her new acquaintance her expert targeting skills and proceeds to tap into her inner reserves to summon some elemental energy whilst focusing her Keen Eye on her target and hitting it head on with Tri Attack. Bergmite is thrilled by Sparow's willingness to play and launches several more ice cubes into the air, becoming more and more excited as Sparow hits each and every one of them. The two romp around for a while, Sparow swooping in high and low, much to Bergmite's delight, until eventually the two decide to take a break. Sparow perches on your shoulder while Bergmite gazes up from the water's edge, curious about both you and your Pokémon. "Bergmite likes you," Manon smiles. "Do you wish to move on, or perhaps stay and play with Bergmite a little longer?" she asks, looking down at the happy little Pokémon.

CyberBlastoise: Noting your surprise about Fenniken being a boy Manon smiles. "Don't worry Bill," she consoles. "It is a common misconception that this Pokémon is female because of the way it looks but Fenniken, like most starter Pokémon, has an almost ninety percent chance of being born male which makes the female Pokémon very popular when they are found." Kneeling down to scratch Fenniken between the ears, a move the little fox is enjoying greatly, Manon looks up at you. "It is ok though, I'm sure he understands even if he was first a little stirred up by it."

Turning her gaze toward the pond, Manon smiles. "If the pond is where you would like to look, the pond is where we will go," the girl states happily, taking your arm and leading you toward the shallow body of water from which you notice a small goat-like Pokémon drinking. "Perhaps not a water type, but Skiddo are very lovely Pokémon. They have a close relationship with humans which has helped them to develop a special ability to read the feelings of their riders through the grip on their horns," Manon explains. "Would you like to meet with Skiddo?" the girl asks, her gaze of adoration fixed upon the little Mount Pokémon...

OkikuMew: A tad uncomfortable with Bergmite's reaction to Himiko's test you decide to move on, chatting with Manon as you go. She tells tales of Kalos' famous Rhyhorn races, super training, a special type of "Wonder Trade" that puts an entirely new and exciting spin on the traditional trades that have taken place up until now. She talks about certain species of Pokémon who temporarily evolve into powerful forms through "Mega Evolution", and about the many retail stores that sell the most wonderful clothing and accessories. So lost in thought about the many wonders Kalos has to offer, you nearly trip over a little fox type Pokémon that comes dashing out of the long grass before spying you in its path and coming to a skidding halt at your feet.

"Oh Fenniken!" Manon giggles. "You really must watch where you are going. You might hurt someone one of these days..."

Charminions: Though water isn't exactly her friend, Sheba is adamant about retrieving the stick for her new acquaintance as the item appears to be important to the little Fox Pokémon. Steeling herself for the inevitable discomfort of her imminent swim, Sheba eyes the pond water before wading in. Luckily it's not a very deep pond so she manages to retrieve the stick without any trouble, returning it to Fennekin who is overjoyed. Shaking herself off Sheba yips, alarmed, when Fennekin seems to take offence to being showered by the water she has just sprayed all over it. Small Embers spit from the Pokémon's ears confirming your suspicions that it is, indeed, a fire type, a fact that excites you greatly. Fennekin soon settles though having been more startled than annoyed by the drenching and barks playfully, racing back into the long grass.

"Oh how cute!" Manon cries, watching the little fox disappear into the grass. "Fennekin would like to play hide-and-go-seek! Would you like to play with Fennekin, Sheba?" the girl asks, clearly thrilled that even the Pokémon appear to be getting into the spirit of the friend safari...

Determined, Sheba walks into the pond- retrieving the stick rather easily thanks to the relative shallowness before dropping it in front of little fox. The Fennekin seemed very ecstatic that its prized possession was brought back, which brought a smile to Charm's face.

Sheba in the meantime shakes off the water from the dip, which startles the Fennekin as she gets sprayed. Little Embers are fired off the Fennekin's ears in self-defense, though all this seemed to have done was convince Charm that this little fox was indeed a Fire-type. "Awesome, now we're talking!" the trainer speaks out in near screams of excitement.

The Fennekin takes a moment to settle down, not feeling peeved anymore, as it instead barks playfully before running off in the tall grass. Manon was thrilled at witnessing this, stating that Fennekin wants to play hide-and-go-seek and asks Sheba if she would like to play. "Dour!" the Houndour barks happily, her tail wagging with excitement. "Alright, Sheba, go sniff around and find Fennekin. We'll stay close behind... Is that alri-ight with you, M-manon?..."

"Dour!" Sheba barks again before sniffing at the grass in the hopes of Fennekin's scent sticking around to pick up on.

Lass El: Quite eager to join Bergmite in its little targeting game, Sparow is set on showing her new acquaintance her expert targeting skills and proceeds to tap into her inner reserves to summon some elemental energy whilst focusing her Keen Eye on her target and hitting it head on with Tri Attack. Bergmite is thrilled by Sparow's willingness to play and launches several more ice cubes into the air, becoming more and more excited as Sparow hits each and every one of them. The two romp around for a while, Sparow swooping in high and low, much to Bergmite's delight, until eventually the two decide to take a break. Sparow perches on your shoulder while Bergmite gazes up from the water's edge, curious about both you and your Pokémon. "Bergmite likes you," Manon smiles. "Do you wish to move on, or perhaps stay and play with Bergmite a little longer?" she asks, looking down at the happy little Pokémon.

El watched with a sappy grin as Sparow and the Bergmite played and frolicked. It wasn't often El got a chance to see Sparow's impressive aim in action, as neither were really into battling beyond situations where they had to defend themselves. The spectacle was almost enough to make El regret her more pacifistic ways in regard to Pokemon training, especially since, in the rush of the moment, Sparow seemed to have let go of her fears. It wasn't anything special to see a Spearow flying about, but seeing Sparow in particular do so was enough to set El's heart a flutter with pride.

Eventually and understandably, however, she needed to rest, sitting back down on her familiar spot on El's shoulder. "Good job girl!" El beamed as she spoke. "You were flying!" Sparow seized up and dug her talons into El's shoulder, eliciting a pained yelp. "G-guess we're not 100% done with that issue yet...," she said through clenched teeth.

"Bergmite likes you."

Those three words from Manon were enough to put a bright smile back on El's face as she turned back to the Bergmite, who returned her gaze with it's wide eyes. "I like you too, little buddy!" El chimed. Sparow managed to add a little caw to El's enthusiasm, though it was rather shaky and soft.

"Do you wish to move on, or perhaps stay and play with Bergmite a little longer?"

El hesitated, the thought of leaving hadn't even crossed her mind until Manon mentioned it. She took a few seconds to roll the idea around in her head, the idea of getting to see more Kalos Pokemon was certainly tempting. But it only took one look back at the Bergmite, sitting by itself, to quash those thoughts.

"You're a pretty long way from home, aren't you?" El scooted over on her bum as she spoke, close enough to touch the ice-type again. "I am too, you know. It's kind of scary, huh? All by yourself, away from what you know. But it's better with a friend, and even better with a lot of them!" With a bit of fumbling, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a standard pokeball. She tossed it rather casually into the air, releasing the inhabitant with a flash of light and a bit of a sparkle. A rather plump Gible found herself sitting in the mud. She blinked confusedly at the scenery around her for several seconds, rather confused as to why she was suddenly covered in mud. Not that she particularly cared, being a ground type, it was just all rather sudden. Her lack of caring about being muddy was made even more apparent the moment she spotted the Bergmite. She shot to her feet and practically jumped over to its side before proceeding to stare it right in the eyes.

"Both of you," El looked back at Manon before continuing, "this is Nikki! She's a shiny, so I don't really like leaving her alone, 'cause you never know what some people might do. And she's really friendly, is someone tried to kidnap her she'd probably let them, wouldn't you, you silly girl?"

Nikki was too busy inspecting the Bergmite to take any sort of offense.

"You wanna play, girl? Sparow's not quite in the mood, but we don't want to ignore Bergmite here, do we?"

The word play, on the other hand, did get through to Nikki. She gently tapped the Bergmite between its eyes before running off, dashing behind Manon's legs. El gently pried Sparow off of her shoulder and stood up, ready to join in should the opportunity present itself.

enchantress: You struggle with Byron’s question not liking to divulge too much about yourself but can’t leave him hanging without an answer, you were here to make friends after all and that meant putting in the effort. You take a deep breath before trying to answer as best as you could whilst scanning the surroundings for any wild Pokemon. It feels like you have been speaking for an eternity before you come across the little purple blob suffering in the deep grass. You can’t help but feel for the little Pokemon but you are thankful for the distraction away from yourself. With no knowledge on the Pokemon from the Kalos region you turn to Byron who gives you a little snippet, enough to tell you that this was a Goomy and that it didn’t like dry environments. It was far enough away from the pond that it was looking dry and exhausted. You share the Goomy’s pain and feel your eyes well up with tears at its suffering; you had to help it and hope that you won’t scare it by approaching it. It stops moving as it sees you approach and hold deathly still fearful of what you would do to it. You bend down to its level and smile warmly at it and it blinks away its tears before reaching out a stubby little hand to poke you before it manages a little smile back, you didn’t so scary any more.

“I think it is too weak to move, perhaps if you carry it to the pond,” Byron suggests and you take Goomy in your arms feeling how its skin was too dry under your hands and head swiftly over to the pond. The sound of the water hit you first and you felt the air cool and moisture caress your face. Goomy wriggles in your arms and sighs already feeling the benefit from being close to the pond. The grass gives way to soft wet soil and to clear waters filled with differing sizes of rock formations. You gently place Goomy in the shallow waters and it squeals happily splashing its face with water before taking deep gulps from the clear waters. It appears to recover quite quickly after a good drink and dunking itself in the water and it wriggles over to you and hugs your leg leaving a wet patch there. You smile feeling proud of your good deed when you spot a flashing lights lurking between the rocks. When you look up they zis away and you turn back to Goomy who smiles happily up at you. Suddenly Goomy is knocked away from you and a new creature is staring up at you, the lights on its head blinking enticingly as it grins up at you with equally adoring eyes.

“Well I never, it’s an Inkay , they look like water types being squids but they are actually duel Psychic and Dark types. They can be tricky Pokemon , the lights on their head drain the opponent’s will to fight ... ermm ... are you okay?” Byron asks as you feel yourself captured in the warm lights of Inkay. Goomy pouts and tries to wriggle back into your vision glaring at the intruder.

Pleased to see Goomy perk up after a good soaking Tess smiles at the little dude, slightly reluctant to move on despite seeing it's feeling a lot better now. It really is a cute little thing, and friendly too. She'd hate for Goomy to feel like she's deserted it but perhaps she's just reading too much into things. All she did was pick it up and place it in a pool of water, it's not like she'd saved it from an Aerodactyl's nest only to throw it into a Beedrill hive. This feeling of guilt is quite unfounded and she knows it. But those eyes. Those sweet little soulful eyes... are suddenly shoved out of her line of vision and replaced with the dazzling lights and adoring stare of a squid-like Pokémon that Byron refers to as an Inkay.

Initially taken aback by the sudden arrival of this new Pokémon, Tess frowns, but only for a moment. "It's nice to meet you Inkay, but next time please try not to hurt anyone," she scolds gently, feeling bad for Goomy as her mind recalls a little girl many years ago always being shoved aside by those around her. A girl whose attempts to make her parents notice her never acknowledged. Her sporting talents never recognised, her academic achievements ignored. The straight A student had a cupboard full of awards, but none of them mattered and neither did she. Her cousins and even the neighbours children were shown more attention than she, and even rebelling went unnoticed so in the end she didn't bother anymore. She didn't understand how or why she could be cast aside like that, and becomes easily upset when witnessing the same happening to others.

Realising Inkay had not meant to be mean to Goomy, it had just been a little tactless in its eagerness to introduce itself, Tess doesn't want to scare the Pokémon off but definitely feels the need to address its lack of manners. "Goomy and Byron and I are just getting acquainted," she says with a smile, lifting Goomy into a snug embrace and giving it a little tickle. "Would you like to join us?" she continues, her eyes moving to the lights that appear to be positioned on a hat on Inkay's head. "That's a very pretty light show you have going off there. Do you use it to attract attention, scare off enemies, or a little of both?"

OkikuMew: A tad uncomfortable with Bergmite's reaction to Himiko's test you decide to move on, chatting with Manon as you go. She tells tales of Kalos' famous Rhyhorn races, super training, a special type of "Wonder Trade" that puts an entirely new and exciting spin on the traditional trades that have taken place up until now. She talks about certain species of Pokémon who temporarily evolve into powerful forms through "Mega Evolution", and about the many retail stores that sell the most wonderful clothing and accessories. So lost in thought about the many wonders Kalos has to offer, you nearly trip over a little fox type Pokémon that comes dashing out of the long grass before spying you in its path and coming to a skidding halt at your feet.

"Oh Fenniken!" Manon giggles. "You really must watch where you are going. You might hurt someone one of these days..."

As Manon felt like the subject needed to be changed, she started to share quite a few things to Okiku about what made Kalos special. Although she was a bit bored concerning the clothing shops (...except that, due to Manon's excellent sense of style, still made her ponder and curious about them anyways) Okiku was quite fascinated by it all. The Rhyhon races sounded like something her derby-loving grandfather would enjoy, while the super training, Wonder Trade looked like things she would at least experiment with once. She also wondered if any of her Pokémon could go through this "Mega Evolution"...

While being "dans la lune", Okiku barely had the time to spy in the corner of her eye something yellow and orang-ish red that jumped right in the middle of the road, and to stop in her tracks before running into it.

"Oh Fenniken!" Manon exclaimed with a giggle, "You really must watch where you are going. You might hurt someone one of these days..."

"M'uh?" the Psychic trainer mumbled, her bubble just being popped. "Was that towards me or that...?" She didn't have time to finish though as she stared at the Fox Pokémon, her head tilted, processing what she is looking at. When she finally realized the situation, the young woman's eyes widened and grasped her hands together. "Ooooooh, it's so cuuuuute!" She squealed with delight. "Lemme see what it is lemme see what it is!" She quickly pulled out her updated Pokédex then pointed it at the fennec before opening it.

"Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon," the mechanical encyclopedia chimed in with its robotic voice. "Fennekin expels from its roomy ears hot air that can reach nearly 400 degrees to intimidate opponents. It likes to snack on twigs to fill its energy. It is known to have both Fire and Psychic abilities, which both grow as it evolves."

"Ohhh, how interest- What!?" Okiku yelled out as she rethinks of the last tibit the Pokédex gave. "...Say that last part again?!"

"It is known to have Psychic abilities, which grows as it evolves," it repeats.

"...Oh. My. Arceus." The psychic trainer's jaw dropped. Not only it is completely adorable, but to top it of, it has supposedly Psychic abilities? Those two information combined was music to her ears. This Pokémon was... absolutely perfect for her.

Shaking her head to crawl herself out of the new proverbial bubble she was making herself around her, she bent down on her knees then looked and smiled sweetly at the Fennekin.

"Hey there, cutie! I'm sorry I almost walked into you earlier," she offered her open hand to it very slowly, not to scare it. "Say, are you hungry? Says that you like twigs, right? I could find a few for you! But if you're more of a fighter..." Okiku pulled out the Pokéball of Ayla again and looked at it for a moment, "I know just the one who would love to accept a challenge against you!"

Escalion: As Rose disappeared behind the large rock formation you felt your heart pick up the pace, was she safe with this dragon? You needn’t have feared though as Goomy seemed totally infatuated with your little Ralts. It was showing her its most favourite spot in the zone and you could see why, the water here was so clear and beautiful water lilies grew everywhere. You frown as you think how upset Goomy would be to find out that Rose already had eyes for another as it presented her with a beautiful white lily before giving her some tasty moss to try. You can’t help but be proud with how diplomatic she was being even trying some of the moss and making all the right noises even if it was disgusting. Goomy gets hearts in its eyes as it hears Rose’s tinkling laughter that was enough to convince it that she was the Pokemon for it. You decide that now would be the best time to step forward and give Goomy an offer you know it won’t turn down. Rose grins and hugs you as you approach and Goomy looks a little miffed that you interrupted their alone time but listens to what you have to say. You hold out the Safari Ball to it and at the mention of spending more time with Rose it smooshes its face on the button not letting you finish your speech as its sucked inside. The ball hardly wiggles before it lies still in your hand.

“That mon ami, is the quickest capture I have seen in a long time, you and your Pokemon are experts and making new friends, I admire that,” Byron says chuckling and patting you on the back as you scan your new Pokemon.

Congratulations. You have captured a Level 05 Male Goomy.

“I wish we could spend more time together my friend but this is all the time we have. It has been fun to have met you all and I wish you all the best in your future travels.” Byron says before turning to Rose. “You take care of Goomy’s heart for I believe it already belongs to you.”

He leads you out of the zones waving you goodbye as you wonder what to do about the possible love triangle forming before your eyes.

Congratulations on your successful capture. I know the adventure was short but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. You can add Goomy's data to your team now and RP with it immediately upon replying to this post. Have fun ^-^

Rowan eagerly awaits the little Goomy's reaction and isn't disappointed. The moment he stepped forwards the Dragon-type looked a little upset about the interruption, but he has taken in every word of what Rowan had to say and it didn't take a lot of waiting before the Goomy pushed the button on the Safari Ball that Rowan held before him. A simple touch with his face is all it takes for a Pokéball to turn the Goomy red and suck it in. It hardly even wiggles before Rowan hears the characteristic ping of a Pokémon successfully caught.

"That was surprisingly easy," Rowan says with a smile and Byron seems to agree with that assessment, complimenting him as he pats Rowan on his back.

"Looks like we have another member for our team Rose. And I hope you'll be able to deal with this one, or you might end up making Chuck jealous." Rowan chuckles and winks at Rose who responds with a blush. She doesn't like hurting others and Rowan knows that all too well, but it already looks like someone will end up being hurt in this situation.

"Come on out you little guy, time to say goodbye to your old home before we go off to your new one." And with another push of the button the Pokéball ejects a red beam of light that swiftly materializes in the Goomy Rowan just caught. "It'll probably be the last time you'll see this place," there is a long pause, "so take a last look and do what you want for now before we go."

'What to name him' that thought just popped up in Rowan's head. All but one of his Pokémon have a name, and the one that doesn't is quite happy not have one. Goomy in the meantime just stands there, staring at the pond he has called his home for most of his life, and staring at Rose. Giving Rowan some time to think for a name as well as look up some information about this new and exotic Pokémon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pokédex

Goomy, The Soft Tissue Pokémon. Goomy is widely considered the weakest Dragon-type Pokémon. It hides in damp and shady places, such as swamps, to prevent its slimy body from drying out.

"Briam, how do you like that for a name? I think it suits a friendly Dragon just nicely." The little Dragon finally turns around with a goofy smile. Goomy doesn't immediately react to the name towards Rowan though, instead he looks at Rose. The Ralts looks back and then up to Rowan, who winks at her, before looking back at the Goomy nodding enthusiastically. Rowan's latest acquisition now turns to his trainer and nods just as enthusiastically as Rose. The acceptance of his new name by his love interest is just what he needed to be happy about his new name himself too.

"Briam it is, welcome to the team once again. Unfortunately I haven't brought many Pokémon with me today, but you will meet them when we're home." And with that Rowan recalls his Pokémon and picks Rose up, holding his starter in his arms.

Byron, having watched Rowan and his Pokémon interact, steps in now saying their time in the Safari is over and wishing Rowan and Rose the best in their future travels, as well as passing a special message over to Rose who looks somewhat oblivious to the meaning of it.

"Byron, thank you for taking me on a tour through this beautiful area and allowing me to capture one of the Pokémon you brought with you. I think this trip in your Friend Safari was a great success, I greatly appreciate the opportunity you provided for me and I thank you for it." Rowan looks at the yawning Ralts in his arms, "Now let's go home." And with that Byron leads the way back to the entrance and waves them off, leaving Rowan to wonder how he will deal with this possible love triangle.

Arc, thank you for this short but great adventure, and for my first adventure-based capture. You've really created a background for this Goomy I'm going to enjoy a lot!

CyberBlastoise: Noting your surprise about Fenniken being a boy Manon smiles. "Don't worry Bill," she consoles. "It is a common misconception that this Pokémon is female because of the way it looks but Fenniken, like most starter Pokémon, has an almost ninety percent chance of being born male which makes the female Pokémon very popular when they are found." Kneeling down to scratch Fenniken between the ears, a move the little fox is enjoying greatly, Manon looks up at you. "It is ok though, I'm sure he understands even if he was first a little stirred up by it."

Turning her gaze toward the pond, Manon smiles. "If the pond is where you would like to look, the pond is where we will go," the girl states happily, taking your arm and leading you toward the shallow body of water from which you notice a small goat-like Pokémon drinking. "Perhaps not a water type, but Skiddo are very lovely Pokémon. They have a close relationship with humans which has helped them to develop a special ability to read the feelings of their riders through the grip on their horns," Manon explains. "Would you like to meet with Skiddo?" the girl asks, her gaze of adoration fixed upon the little Mount Pokémon...

"Starter huh? That's the second one I found wild, first one ended up being my actual starter..." Bill said before they headed down toward the pond. Manon was definitely the eager sort, just pulling Bill to the pond, normally he's the one dragging someone else to a place, whether it was to an archaeological dig or a haunted temple or whatever. But hey, he was heading towards the pond anyways, in hopes to find some rare Pokemon. No water Pokemon in the pond as far as he could see, but over to the side of the pond was a four-legged Pokemon, another one he never seen before. This one had moss-like plants growing around its neck and chest-like area.

Manon was the first one to speak, "Perhaps not a water type, but kiddo are very lovely Pokémon. They have a close relationship with humans which has helped them to develop a special ability to read the feelings of their riders through the grip on their horns. Would you like to meet with Skiddo?"

It certainly was an interesting looking Pokemon to say the least. A Pokemon that was very accustomed to humans of all things. And it would be nice to see one like that, but honestly, just like the Fennekin before, he just wasn't clicking with it. It looked like a nice Pokemon, no doubt, but it just wasn't the one he felt. "Well, Skiddo is a thing of beauty, but it looks too peaceful right now. I don't think we should bother it, y'know? Maybe we should look somewhere else?" It was a pretty big pond, maybe there will be other Pokemon near it? But if not, there's a whole Safari to explore. Bill couldn't wait to see what other interesting Pokemon could be found here too.

empoleon dynamite: As Angelique describes the floating pile of brown water weeds as a Pokemon called Skrelp you realise that you were starting to come to your senses and not tripping out again. You take in its unusual form with admiration, it reminded you of your own majestic sea dragon and you find yourself rummaging around in your pocket before the Skrelp became bored and swam off. You eventually find the blue Dragon Ball and enlarge it before releasing the occupant into the water surfacing with grace than only a Kingdra could manage. He looked regal and almost outshone the plain looking Skrelp that had stopped to admire the other dragon in its pond. You didn’t want to brawl with the Skrelp and hoped that you could convince it to join you in a friendly manner. Reaver approached the Skrelp and attempted to Swap Hearts with it, sharing its feeling and emotions to make it more receptive to belonging to you. Reaver begins to tap into Skrelp’s feelings too though and feels the admiration it held for the evolved Pokemon but also the longing to test its skills against such a foe. Skrelp narrows its eyes at Reaver and hits him with a Water Gun that hardly tickles the Kingdra but the challenge was there. Reaver sets it with a Leer and although it quivers it holds its gaze, it looks like you couldn’t get away without a battle, but this could end up being very one sided, but would you deny the Skrelp a chance to prove itself?

Reaver gave a snort of understanding as he locked onto the opposing seahorse and flitted his fins into a swim – Wes watching on with baited breath. His eyes followed the seahorse who was fast closing distance, the Skrelp still difficult to pick apart from the pond algae. The two were feet apart, Kingdra wincing in concentration as its chest flickered a neon pink – pulsing like a Heartbeat until the Skrelp reciprocated. Feelings and emotions ebbed between the two beacons until they Swapped consciousness. The technique had worked its magic, but didn’t quite have the desired effects… Wes could read Reaver better than any wild Pokémon and the assimilated sentiments of pride and competitiveness were etched all over his face. Wes quickly realised there was no crossing the peaceful path – and before he could react the mock kelp Pokémon had switched to the offensive, bloodshot eyes narrowing on its foe as it let off a jet of Water. The shot barely left a scratch, but the challenge was enough to provoke the dragon into a nervewracking Leer. The wild Skrelp did its best to hold the gaze, although shivering like a clump of seaweed caught in an ocean current. Wes could see there was no contest. There was no honour in a one-sided battle, but he didn’t want to deny the Skrelp a chance to show off its moves.

“I’ll give you your battle” Wes conceded, shifting his attention to Reaver, “Show some restraint buddy. See if you can push it down the riverbed with a Dragon Pulse and then catch it in a Twister. Let’s give both sides a boost with a Rain Dance finisher”

Treepandaone: Spending some time with Jean discussing your backgrounds and your parents, you're not at all surprised to learn that Jean had indeed felt pressured to succeed due to having such high profile and well respected parents. Oddly enough it wasn't his family who caused him feel this way however, but outsiders who often compared him to his parents. It's clear the boy is quite self-confident nowadays, though whether that comes from him raised under the guidance of a Gym Leader and Pokémon Ranger or from an inner source of strength is anyone's guess. Whatever the case, he'd had an excellent head start in life with such knowledgeable and influential parents on his side. He was very lucky. Discovering some of Jean's history has been interesting, as is meeting Carbink, a Pokémon who, though very similar to the type of Pokémon that normally interest you, is not quite your cup of tea despite being part Fairy type. Moving on it isn't long before you spy a strange looking lavendar coloured bat-like Pokémon with large yellow eyes. "This is a Noibat," Jean smiles, gazing at the creature fondly. "It is part Flying type, part Dragon type and is quite rare to find in our nation. I was lucky to find this one to bring here, I hope you like it..."

The conversation flowed nicely for the two Pokémon trainers as they walked, Matthew finding the topic of upbringings, influence and transition between child and adulthood fascinating indeed; his own having been snatched away cruelly by the occupation of Team Rocket in Viridian City. He had bloomed into the world of Pokémon so late in life, having come to Fizzy Bubbles nearly 10 years after the recommended adventuring age of 12, an impact he would always look back on with some tangent of regret, and burning hatred for the criminal organisations of the world. It was such a crazy world where Pocket Monsters roamed the streets with an almost carefree abandon, shaping the world. Legendary Pokémon of extraordinary power shaped the world and its atmosphere before vanishing to myth-like appearances, Pokémon sculpted individual landscape through natural abilities, even the lowest-level of creatures who could easily interact, to torment or save, young children and mold their view of the world. Pokémon become an important aspect of everyday society.

Jean's idea of pressure from outsiders who compared him to his parents gave Matthew a credence for thought; the trainer too felt some aspect of pressure, yet it was all self-evident that his ego, mind and soul impacted both his need to help others, but also run free of society's norms and create a niche of a renegade with a heart. Perhaps it was his transition in Fizzy Bubbles that removed his introverted ideology, instead pursuing the same self-confidence that Jean showed through speech alone, of which Matthew could only dream. The notion of the questions weighed heavily on Matthew's mind as he begun to understand Jean's perspective, only too late realizing that by asking if Jean felt pressure, he too was part of the band that compared the guide to his bloodline, and while Jean was self-confident and respectful enough to answer, Matthew still felt bad for being so headstrong in his forthcoming inquisition.

He shook the thoughts from his mind, instead focusing on the course as the lush green expanse provided by the Fizzy Bubbles government housed so many Pokémon from the land of Kalos. The new fairy type had him curious, but a small bat quickly snapped him back to the real world. Instinctively opening his Pokédex and turning to Jean at the same time, the veteran trainer quickly got a decent grasp of the unusual Pokémon's “deal” so to speak.

His golden Pokédex beeped in the background, its mechanical voice informing Matthew of Noibat's ability to use soundwaves. Matthew had come across similar Pokémon, but had never heard the true power of sound before having hatched a Whismur, but managed to prevent it from crying. Either way, he was already sure that he didn't want to engage something in battle that could stun him through sound alone.

"This is a Noibat. It is part Flying type, part Dragon type and is quite rare to find in our nation. I was lucky to find this one to bring here, I hope you like it..."

Jean's fond words made Matthew smile as he looked upon the Pokémon with a sense of familiarity. It surprised him that Jean had captured the Pokémon himself, having spent the journey believing all manor of Pokémon had merely been shipped and assigned a capable trainer, but the idea that the son of a Pokémon Ranger and Gym Leader would be perfect for the job of both being a guide and acquiring the Pokémon on “offer”. Matthew turned to Cradily, running his hand down the appendage handing from the petal of his grass-type's head. The hood covering Cradily's eyes provided an excellent cover, but also made the inside a mystery to the fossil expert and he had no idea what lay beneath. Clearly, based on his ability to express orders, Cradily had some way of hearing, and Matthew wished not to engage in something he had no experience battling against.

“I have seen enough battle in other adventures to last a lifetime”, he spoke softly to the Pokémon next to him, “Perhaps we can befriend this one without the need of fighting. Let's try to attract its attention and gain its trust by showing off contest moves. Confuse Ray into the air then create a Barrier to bounce it around like a game of Tetris!”

If there was a chance he could capture a Pokémon by impressing it enough with creativity over battling it, Matthew would give it all the chances he could...

empoleon dynamite: You knew that this battle was going to be very one sided but the little Skrelp wanted a chance to prove itself against your mighty dragon and you couldn’t deny it the battle. Reaver wasn’t going to let the Skrelp attack without repercussions even if he knew his strength far surpassed the little poison type so the battle was inevitable. Skrelp didn’t look frightened by the challenge ahead of it and stared down Reaver as you ask him to show some restraint and gave your orders. Skrelp takes the initiative and breathes out a Smokescreen that covers the pond before Reaver can move, it was smart in hiding itself as it made it harder for Reaver to pinpoint it. He launches his attack after staring at the smoke for too long, the Dragon Pulse forcing the smoke away to leave a clear path above the pond but it looks like he missed. Skrelp emerges from the smoke in an aura of darkness and strikes Reaver with a Faint Attack before diving back into the smoke. Reaver sighs, the attack was weak but the little Skrelp was trying its hardest and it was putting up a good fight. He breathes in deep and lets loose a fierce Twister that sucks up all the smoke and the Skrelp as it rips across the pond dropping it at the farthest bank. Skrelp is shaking in pain but still going as without the smoke it had nothing to lose. Reaver launches a ball of water into the air that erupts into rain clouds that begin to open. Drizzle forms and Skrelp has closed the gap letting loose another Water Gun this one boosted slightly by the beginning rain. Skrelp cast you a brief look as if looking for your approval before staring down Reaver once more waiting for the next move.

Byron’s Zone: please reply in brown

enchantress: The little Inkay took you by surprise and it looked so happy to see you but you couldn’t allow such forceful actions against the unsuspecting Goomy. Inkay doesn’t look fazed by your admonishment and keeps its cheerful look on its face as Goomy wriggles back into view glaring at the newcomer. Your mind is taken back to your younger days and it brought dark memories as you were ignored despite your accomplishments. You snap back to reality and pick up Goomy giving it a hug as it snuggles into your arms smirking at Inkay. Inkay frowns but smiles as you address it and nods its head enthusiastically floating over to you and rubbing against your cheek affectionately. Its skin was smooth and cool and made you shiver but its aura was warm. You enquire about its lights and they shine brightly, it turns to Goomy with a wicked look in its eye and flashes its lights on and off making the dragon type go all dazed, its eyes glazing over. Inkay giggles at its show and Goom snaps back at the noise. Its eyes narrow at being made fun of and it spits out Bubbles at Inkay who grimaces as they pop on its skin. Both stare each other down before looking to you and Goomy leaps to the ground. It glows green whilst demonstrating its Absorb the green orbs glowing brightly around it, hoping you were looking and Inkay grins and dances erecting a Reflect the pink barrier sparkling in the sun. They both at you hoping you were impressed by their moves.

“They both appear taken by you mon ami, they want to show off their moves to impress you. You would have a good friend in either of these two but you can only call one a partner. I hope you let the other down gently,” Byron advises as he looks at the adoring eyes of the two Pokemon

Kinindra: With the promise of friendship and discovery, it doesn't take you long to decide to go and enjoy the festivities the Friend Safari offered. Sure there were a few delays, but you had made it and that was all that mattered. Unlike some of the other trainers around, you decided to wear clothes appropriate for the weather rather than for style. Although you seemed to have plenty of that too. It didn't take long for you to choose Chantelle as your Kalosian friend and the girl smiled upon meeting you. “Oui! I can tell you all about Lumiose City! It is largest city in all the Kalos region. The shopping there is incredible! Not only that, but we have all the best food and there is a cafe on every corner. Oh it is amazing! At the center of the city is the Prism Tower. It is magnifique! Professor Sycamore has his lab there too! Oh but we should really get going. I can't be considered reliable if all I'm going to do is sit here and talk your ear off can I?”

The four of you soon head out into a grassy area with a pond in the corner. Short fences have been erected around the zone, but you can see that there is plenty of room for pokemon to roam. “So let me see... I'm guessing this person I remind you of is kind, loving, friendly, lovely...” Chantelle said with a smile, “I'm only kidding. Although I think it is very kind of you to think of me like someone else. At least as long as that someone else wasn't a serial killer. That would be bad.” Chantelle brushed her hands on her skirt to straiten it out a bit as you made your way into the tall grass, “Oh! It seems I've been doing all the talking. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself. I see you have a cutie cherubii with you. How long have you been together? How did you meet? Tell me something about yourself I wouldn't know.”

As you wander a little further along you hear a rather lovely chirping noise coming from a small redish-orange bird who seems to be circling above you. “Ooo! It's a Fletchling!” Suddenly the bird dives down at you all and swoops back up. “I think that was a warning. Fletchlings tend to be rather territorial.”

What will you do?

Quietly listening as Chantelle boasted of her hometown (or perhaps 'town' isn't really the right word at all), Kin could only barely resist bursting into giggles. Even their pride matched! He took particular notice when she mentioned the shopping- A wide selection of goods was near synonymous with a wide selection of information, afterall!

Following the girl's lead, Kin happily bounced around the zone, examining first one thing, then the next. Everything his eyes alighted on was replicated in his notebook but a moment later, and he was quite lost in a world of his own before the girl seized his attention. Listening to her words, he frowned slightly. Friendly was pretty spot-on. She had certainly been kind. If he recalled correctly, to be 'loving' was similar to being caring. He... Supposed that did apply to her. But what did 'lovely' mean? To have the quality of 'love'? His train of thought was abruptly severed at Chantelle's joke. Giggling slightly, he replied.

"I don't think she was! Why, are you?". From anyone else, the words would probably have been mocking, but Kin's face betrayed nothing but sincere curiosity. Setting out to explore the grasses stretching before him, he stopped for a moment as Chantelle asked him about himself, bringing his attention to the constant presence at his shoulder. Glancing to the side, he shared a quick grin with his partner before turning back to his guide.

"I've been with Sundance here for a loooong time! When I first set off on my journey, I didn't have any pokemon of my own. A lot of things happened then... It was a real adventure! It was really hard, though.". Looking down, he clenched his fist as he spoke. "It was then that I learned just how strong Pokemon truly are. But I don't think I'd have ever met Sundance if it weren't for that. You don't see to many of them around here, but have you heard of the Pokemon Starly? They're a very common species in my home region. I've always been fascinated by their ability to touch the sky, so I figured I'd take a closer look.". Sighing, as if to punctuate his sentence, he looked to the sky. "That's when I learned the true strength of a group. And the power of the individuals in it. Sometimes, the only thing stronger than a group... Is it's leader.". Shaking his head as though to dislodge something unpleasant, Kin finally met the eyes of his guide. "It was after that that I met Sundance. Beaten and bruised, I took shelter in a tree. I can only assume he had done the same.". Directing another grin at his partner, he's rewarded with a sharp headbutt from the grass-type. "Owwww, I'm sorry, okay? It's not like I can read your mind!".

The friendly banter is brought to a close when Chantelle notes the presence of a pokemon, one which circles while chirping a rather charming tune. Fairly adorable, to be entirely frank. But anyone looking at Kin would be quick to note that perhaps he wasn't of the same opinion just yet. His pupils had gone a bit small, especially considering how wide his eyes were. Nevermind that trembling, that couldn't be good. But come on! Look at that red head plumage, that colourful mix of monocolour in it's tail! And those cute little black talons~
But it was obvious that that wasn't what Kin was seeing. His sight wavered and flickered in and out as the fairly harmless creature before him exchanged places with an apparition of his mind, time and time again. One moment it was a simple, small bird; The next, and it had quadrupled in size, a fearsome bird of prey. Sharp and powerful talons, designed not to land but to beat targets into submission. Powerful wings, strong enough to keep it aloft, more than capable of snapping bones in twain. A red plume, alerting its target's to it's unstoppable approach and announcing it as lord of the skies, an Intimidating presence to all. A master of close combat, the bird who dominated both sky and earth... Staraptor. Flinching, Kin collapsed, crouching on the ground in terror. Wasting no time, Sundance leaped from his place on Kin's shoulder, trying to gain as much height as possible. Fixated on his target, he readied a Leech Seed intended for the wings- He'd have to bring this bird down if he intended to fight it- And fight it was just what he intended to do. He knew his master, and his master never retreated from knowledge. He would be unimpressed if this weakness had robbed him of this chance. So, for his master's wishes and his own honour, he would fight!

EpicSquirtle: Eager to make a good impression upon his new acquaintance, Error buzzes off to start collecting materials for a makeshift shelter for Carbink. Also eager to make a good impression you help, and with Jean pitching in as well you all manage to erect a small shelter made of twigs, small tree branches and leaves within the hour. Taking a step back to admire your handiwork your heart sinks as you realise that although your heart is in the right place the materials to build a decent shelter are not. This little house of sorts will surely fall to a decent gust of wind, but despite this Carbink is overjoyed that you would go to such trouble to help it out and bops around happily. It enters its new home and peeks out, inviting Error inside, and you watch while the two Pokémon play around, zooming in and out while they chase each other around the area.

"Well they are certainly enjoying themselves," Jean chuckles, resting against a tree while the two Pokémon cavort around the area. "Why don't you tell me something about yourself while we wait for them to tire themselves out?" he asks, his eyes following Error and Carbink who it seems are already forming a fast friendship...

Jake let out a sigh of relief. He took a step back, admiring the work that he had put in to the shelter. It hadn't taken too long to make, but Jake still felt defeated as he realized a small gust of wind could easily destroy the shelter.

''Sorry we couldn't give you something better Carbink'' Jake apologized to the jewel pokemon. But to Jake's suprise Carbink was overjoyed with it's new home.
''What do you, Carbink likes it!'' Jake exlaimed, proud that he helped Carbink in it's time of need. Soon Error joined Carbink, and the two started playing together.

It almost reminded him of when he was younger. Hanging out with the pokemon in the forest near his house. With his Joltik, Sparky.
''Sparky... I hope he's ok, where ever he is'' Jake thougt to himself.

"Why don't you tell me something about yourself while we wait for them to tire themselves out?" Jean asked, throwing Jake completely off guard.

''This is going to be tough, what do I do? Do I make something up? Or tell him the truth?'' Jake pondered
"If I keep lying I could get caught, I should probably should just say something truthful, but what?''

''I-I'm an aspiring electric type specialist'' Jake replied.
''I own over ten electric types currently, but I-I plan on raising every electric type I can.''
''So what about you, do you specialize in any type in particular?''

Jake glanced back at Carbink and Error, hoping he hadn't said too much.

gmoyes: An amusing thought of you becoming a knight with a honedge in one hand and your bronzor in the other steals your attention from the battle for a moment. Not that it was worrisome. You had plenty of pokemon with you and had deduced that this one honedge wouldn't be able to defeat them all. You give your commands to Theta and then begin to question when the right moment would be to use your Safari Ball.

Theta begins by gathering electrical energy around it to the point of glowing bright blue. Quickly it flies forward and slams into the honedge creating a brilliant Spark when the two collide. The honedge gets knocked back violently and spins around quickly coming back and swinging through the air at Theta. However, instead of slicing it turned its blade flat and swatted the magnemite like a baseball driving it into the rocky outcropping sending up a small cloud of dust and debris. Theta drifts away from the rocks as a brightness in the form of a ball of light manifests in front of magnetic pokemon. The ball soon exploded forward in a line like Flash being shot out of a Cannon. The honedge twisted and turned to the side letting the sharpness of its blade attempt to slice through the attack sending the beam in two separate directions around it. Although you can see that despite the intersting blocking technique the sash and scabbard of the honedge appear to be damaged, so the attack wasn't in as much vain as it might have first seemed. Once more the Sword Danced in the air and you knew that meant it was trying to power up even more. Theta continued its attack. This time sending out a number of small thin waves like tendrils of electricity which strike the sword where it floated. There was a definite slowness to the motions of the weapon that you could notice. This was especially apparent when you see arcs of electricity course around the blade as it tries to move and instead seems to be paralyzed from the Thunder Wave and unable to move at this time. So far so good, but the honedge still looks to have plenty of fight left in it while Theta is doing just fine as well.

What will you do?

Alex watched the battle between the two steel types unfold. Theta’s Spark hit, but the haunted sword retaliated with a harsh blow of its own. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to faze the Magnemite much so it shot off a Flash Cannon. The Honedge impressively parried the attack, but judging by the marks on its blade, it didn’t come out of it unscathed. The ghost type then did a series of swings to boost up its power even more. “This could be dangerous,” the researcher murmured to himself. However, when the wave of electricity that was emitted from Theta locked up its movements, a smirk grew on Alex’s face. “Or not.”

Alex tried to gauge the strength of his opponent. While the paralysisness would help capture it, he didn’t know if it had sustained enough injury to succeed. He also didn’t know how long it would be locked up. Still, he had to abuse his advantage when he could. "Theta, Electro Ball. Follow up with a Thundershock. If it's still locked up, hit it with Supersonic. Otherwise give it another Thunderwave."

As he finished his orders to his partner, he gripped the safari ball. He didn't know if this was the optimal point of capture, but he wanted to get this over soon. However, he didn't know if he wanted to wait to get the Honedge both paralyzed and confused. Watching the battle, he waited for when the sword would be locked up and with a muttered "Screw it," he lobed the capture device at the Steel/Ghost type.

myahoo: Highly annoyed by Phantump's surprise attack on Wildfire, you recall your confused fire mouse and release Houndour to take his place. The dark firepup is pretty cluey and assesses the situation quickly, examining Phantump curiously. Throwing his head back and Howling his eagerness to start this battle Prince then looks to Phantump whose deep and expressionless gaze stares right back through him, apparently unfazed by Prince's display of self-confidence. While the two Pokémon face off you release Cyndaquil from his Pokéball, and while he's still a tad woozy from the previous attack he's also curious to see what happens next and tries to focus on the action. Phantump, meanwhile, Astonishes Prince with its dexterity, hitting the Houndour from behind. Prince growls and spins around, baring his teeth and lunging in to Bite his foe. The little ghostie is quick, though, and dodges the attack only to find itself staring down a Dark Pulse of energy that washes right over it. If Phantump had hair it would have stood on end after that attack, but instead it just sits there, hovering and staring. Its intense scrutiny is somewhat creepy but you have a sneaking suspicion this is more than just a battle to the little Stump Pokémon whose gaze turns to you, a smile appearing on its little face...

Melissa picked up her Cyndaquil the moment he materialized, settling him in her arms as she checked him over for anything aside from lingering wooziness. Wildfire blinked up at her blearily, nodding a little when she asked if he was alright, and tried to focus on how his teammate was doing. It was a little difficult for the starter, but the longer he just sat in his trainer's arm and relaxed, the easier it was to track the battle.

The brunette shook off the shivers that rose from her own Pokemon's Howl and looked back up to see the Phantump hit her firepup from behind. A frown made its way onto her face as Prince growled and spun, lunging in for a Bite that just missed the Ghost-type, but the Dark Pulse nailed it easily. She studied the Phantump as it hovered in place in the aftermath of the series of attacks and then stared when it turned its gaze to her, a smile appearing on its face. Brown eyes narrowed at the ghost again, as her Houndour readied himself for the next round of combat.

"That's right," she muttered thoughtfully. "You said it wanted to know whether I was a strong trainer." She eyed it critically. "Interesting way of deciding, provoking said trainer, but, well, there was something else that interested you about me, huh? Maybe I can get Imp to translate later, but, first, let's see how well you'll handle this." She pitched her voice to carry over to the dual-type currently in battle. "Prince, Pursue it and trap it in a Fire Spin, if you can. Otherwise, hit it with a wave of heat." Although, now that she thought about it, she hoped they didn't end up catching anything else on fire during the battle...

Byron’s Zone: please reply in brownswampertforever: You can’t help but coo over the totally adorable Eevee as it snuggled into your hand before running off trying to entice Red into a game of tag. It bounced back and forth wagging its tail happily waiting to see if the Pansear would respond. Red had a harsh look in his eye but the little puppy didn’t seem bothered and as the Pansear took after it almost like it was hunting prey Eevee deftly dodged out of the way barking in laughter before bouncing off with Red following hungrily trying to catch it. With a bit of encouragement Blue joins in too, the Panpour tickling Red into loud happy laughter. Eevee grins at their playfulness and barks at them causing them to turn and chase it once again. They continue their game for 5 minutes before Red finally tags Eevee back and they all sit down in the grass panting but with happy smiles on their faces. Your mind was made up and grasping the Safari Ball you cal out to Eevee, the little Pokemon’s ears perking up. It bounces over to you still full of energy as Red and Blue follow behind. You offer it a change to travel with you and its eyes turn serious for a moment as it considers the offer. It stares at the ball before looking up at you with a determined look. It starts wagging its tail playfully and barks at you before looking back at Red and Blue then back to you again.

“Well mon ami I believe Eevee wants to play hide and seek with you and if you find it, it will accept your offer to travel. You must have made a good impression!” Byron states with a wide smile on his face.

I'm so so so sorry for the lateness of this reply, Arc.

Michael watched as his Pokemon and Eevee frolicked and played. It was a refreshing sight, watching Red having so much fun without him actively going out of his way to cause a ruckus. Of course, the young fire type wouldn't admit to this, and any enquiries later would probably lead to frantic denial on his part and relentless teasing from Blue, but that would come later. Right now, he just left them to their antics, happy to just let the time waste away. It was only 5 minutes, but it was a moment that would last for a lifetime. The teen didn't know why he asked the Eevee that suddenly about joining his team, and to be honest, he felt kind of embarrassed to have done so. He braced himself for the awkward silence that would fall due to the inevitable refusal...
Except it never came. The Eevee seemed to be actually considering his offer! After a few moments of thought, the Evolution Pokemon gave a couple of playful barks, looking between Michael, Red and Blue. Byron gave them a quick translation, earning a sheepish grin in return from the trainer.
"Haha, I guess I did, didn't I?" He replied, stifling a nervous chuckle. He quickly turned back to Eevee and his Pokemon before he said or did something that would lower the mood.
"Ok Eevee, I'll count while you go hide. Blue, Red, you can either stay here and help me, or go off to hide as well."
Red stayed put as Blue scampered off into the grass, motioning for the Eevee to follow him. Michael picked the Pansear up, giving his hair an affectionate scuffle before turning around.
"Alright, I guess it's you and me then?"
Red nodded. He closed his eyes, and Michael followed suit. Slowly, they started counting backwards from 10...

Remy's Zone- Please respond in GreenGemini Spark: With a definite type disadvantage facing you, the idea of maybe spooking the honedge away seemed as good as any. Swapping out your White Flute for your Black one, you begin to play a rather haunting melody. The air around you almost seems to go still as the tune lofts through the air. Froakie’s grip on your leg tightens considerably and it seems clear that if the little frog weren’t so afraid to move, it would have scampered off by now. Fortunately, you seem to be the safest place for the amphibian despite your dark music making. The Honedge meanwhile seems to float calmly in the air before you. It gives no indication of wanting to attack or wanting to leave. It just seems to be listening in a motionless state. At least for a little bit.

Without warning the weapon pokemon spins in its place and begins to glow in a purple hue. Remy noticeably steps back a couple steps at this movement stating quietly, “It just used Sword’s Dance. I think you might be inspiring it to be more terrifying than it already is. This could get bad…” Still, the honedge makes no move toward you or any of your traveling companions. At least not as long as you are still playing…

What will you do?

Chantelle's Zone- Please respond in LemonChiffonsweetbbydoll: you were feeling pretty good about yourself making friends with a new pokemon when chaos ensued. The amaura was now chasing Snow around in circles around you. Chantelle giggled a bit and soon turned red faced as her face looked like that of someone who had just been caught with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar. “Sorry,” she quickly apologized as she held her hands up to her mouth to cover any lingering signs of amusement. As you try to think of different idea on how to handle the situation you can hear the two pokemon screaming. Snow in terror of being eaten and Amaura in frustration about not being able to catch the snowver.

Finally it dawns on you that if you can’t beat the dinosaur, maybe you can stop it by putting it to sleep. Calling out to Snow your plan the onion shaped pokemon starts to whistle a tune. At first it seems a bit choppy and out of sorts, but eventually she gets the hang of doing two things at once. The melody shifts from a frantic pace to something a little slower and more solemn. Almost like a lullaby. Both pokemon begin to visibly start slowing down eventually falling into a walking pattern. Amaura’s shouts now weaker and less enthusiastic than before until finally it falls to the ground and eventually lies down. Its eyes blinking rapidly as it fights off the urge to take a nap. It was to no avail, however, as the sandman finally finishes the job and the blue dino finds itself in the dream world.

What will you do?

Chantelle's Zone- Please respond in LemonChiffonMarbleZone: The pressure builds as you can feel the end of the battle approaching. Doubt fills your mind about the outcome, yet you manage to keep it together and come up with what you feel is a sound strategy. Bud is still going strong after his evolution, so the concerns are all about the tiny bird escaping. Although given the way the avian opponent is barely able to stand, even that seems unlikely.

After a few words of encouragement you give your Ivysaur the plan and he doesn't waste any time implementing it. A wave of green energy shoots forth and Venoshocks the little robin before it can even get out of the way knocking it back to flop and roll across the ground. For a moment it lay there and you wonder if maybe Bud might have knocked it out with that attack only to see the Fletchling stagger up on its feet with a determined look on its face. It's pretty obvious that this particular bird does not give up easily. Even with it barely able to stand somehow it manages to rush toward Bud with surprising quickness Tackling the seed pokemon hard enough to trip him up and cause him to stumble to the ground.

With Bud on the ground your worst fear comes to fruition. The Fletchling takes to the air. You can't be sure if it is trying to escape or if it is going to attack from the air again, but you can tell Bud isn't going to take any chances of letting you down. The Ivysaur doesn't even stand up. Instead he raises his head and spits a number of Seeds like Bullets at the tiny bird. You hear the loud squawk of the robin as seed after seed hit. Before you can even blink the Fletchling falls to the ground thumping hard as it hits. You hope that it might get up one more time just as it had done times before, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen this time. Instead the Fletchling just lays there unconscious.

"Oooo! You better try to catch it before it wakes up if you want it," Chantelle says excitedly. It's pretty obvious that she enjoyed watching the battle by the way her eyes are twinkling.

What will you do?

Wyatt's Zone- Please respond in BluePest: The battle was in its final stages. Invidia was feeling the effects of using a number of powerful attacks back to back, while the Tyrunt seemed to be on its last legs from all the damage it had taken. Strategies ran through your mind as you thought about what moves might work best against the dino, when the idea to keep things simple occurred to you. Invidia nodded at your commands and took her position to await the final round to begin. The Tyrunt made an attempt at a roar, but it came out a little cracked in sound. Still, there was no doubt it was ready to go. It's taloned feet scratched at the ground a couple times before the dino charged toward your fighting blue frog. Invidia steeled herself waiting for the moment when the dino was in range to make her move. As expected the tyrunt lowered its head as it drew near. Invidia bent her knees and suddenly dropped down kicking out one of her legs tripping the dinosaur and dropping it to the ground where it slid past driven by its momentum. Before the rock type has a chance to even stop sliding Invidia spins around once more connecting her foot with the back of the dinosaur sending it flying across the ground in another direction where it tumbles along until it finally comes to a sliding stop. The little dinosaur lay quietly for a few seconds before somehow managing to start pushing itself up to its feet.

The Tyrunt stands tall and once more tries to roar only to collapse forward flat onto the ground. A small cloud of dust kicking up around it as it lay still and unconscious.

What will you do?

Wyatt's Zone- Please respond in BlueJolteonjak: "Oui my friend!" Wyatt responds to your calling for assistance and quickly moves over to you and the hole. The Clauncher continued to watch quietly as you worked to dig around the hole a bit. It didn't move. Whether that was intentional or the cause of its predicament was unknown, but a betting man would probably assume the latter. A heavy wheeze was about all the response the clauncher seemed to give you when you addressed it. It didn't take long for you, Wyatt, and Ledyba to dig around the little crustacean enough to be able to reach in so you could lift it up and possibly out. The sling Taran had made was close enough that you probably wouldn't even have to get off your knees to set the little blue clauncher in it.

"Alright, it looks like we are set. It should be smooth sailing from here," Wyatt remarked as he looked to you for the signal of how to proceed. Suddenly a chill spikes through your spine as a low moan fills the air.

"Ooooo.... Oooooo!" The moan seems to get louder, but not really any closer. Whatever was causing it definitely wasn't making it sound like it was in pain. It was more of a haunting melody than anything.

What will you do?

Wyatt's Zone- Please respond in BlueSchala: With the pumpkaboo on the verge of freaking out, you decide it is time to step in before things go from bad to worse. Airmid had been doing the best she could to make a new friend, but accidents were beginning to happen and with the pumpkin pokemon so confused, it only made sense for you to try to calm it down before it did anything foolish like attack you and Airmid. Your words are calm and warm and you can see the pumpkaboo starting to relax ever so slightly. It's empty wide eyes staring directly at you. It soon begins to bounce it's body to look between you and Airmid while Wyatt stands in the background smiling at your kindness. Suddenly it settles its gaze on you after you ask it your question. Silence permeates the air as a way too long pause hangs around before the small Jack-o-Lantern bursts into tears. "Booo....! Booo... Ooooo...!" it cries as it bounces over to you nearly knocking you over as it nuzzles up against your leg.

"I think that might be a yes," Wyatt comments from behind you with a wide grin.

What will you do?

Chantelle's Zone- Please respond in LemonChiffonRakurai: With Flandre now under control and quite literally in your grasp you give the Pancham a little food which it promptly begins separating out into pieces in order to make sure that there was enough there to pay the toll. The pancham looked up at you and your party through its eyebrows as it counted each piece of food. you could see it chomping on a leaf in its mouth while switching it from side to side with each thought in its head. Finally it looked up to you with narrowed eyes and nodded in satisfaction at your payment. With a grandiose flourish of its arms, the little panda bid you to pass and continue your journey.

Chantelle couldn't help but smile the entire time at the antics of the little bear. It was apparent she was enjoying this little foray as much as anyone. "I'm not sure if it would have been a mischief maker or not. Most Pancham are like eggs. Hard on the outside, and soft on the inside. They like to make people think they are tough and rugged when in fact most of them are teddy bears." The young woman giggled at her own comment as you all continued to make your way toward the small pond. Flandre was definitely not enjoying being carried given the look on her face, but Tia now seemed far more relaxed than ever and even had a slight bounce in her step now that her babysitting responsibilities were in the arms of another.

"Well let's see. We've seen a Flabébé, a Fletchling, and a Pancham now. So that only leaves one pokemon left in this area. I wonder what it could be?" Chantelle grins knowingly. She wasn't very good at hiding her excitement about what would hopefully appear next for you all.

Eventually you reach the pond. There was nothing really special about it. It was a typical pond with a small rock formation on one end. What was special was what was lying down next to the rock formation. A small bluish dinosaur with fin-like protrusions on its head peacefully laid in the sunlight. Its eyes closed and probably sleeping from what you could tell. "Look at that," Chantelle whispered so as not to disturb the nap of the Tundra pokemon, "It's an Amaura. They aren't dragons, but it is a dinosaur that at one time was extinct."

Certainly with the pokemon sleeping it would be to your advantage to try to capture it while its guard was down, but then again, without wearing it down a little in combat or getting it to accept your friendship and join you willingly it might be able to break free of capture given it is more than likely at full strength right now. Plus you only have one Safari Ball, so if you were to use it and fail, you could end up out of luck.

What will you do?

Chantelle's Zone- Please respond in LemonChiffonlilbluecorsola: While the journey has been short, you have found yourself feeling rather nostalgic after talking with Chantelle. The girl seemed to have a few similarities to yourself which made talking to her that much easier. The Flabébé continued its dance and seemed to remain professional when Mary started to imitate it. In fact it even floated over near Mary after a minute or two and almost acted as if it were trying to teach Mary the steps of the dance. Not that Mary was quite as graceful as the little flower bloom pokemon, but that didn't seem to matter at the moment. It was more about sharing in an experience than anything else.

"I do not mind at all," Chantelle answered your question with a relaxing sigh, "I kind of like having a little time to just sit and enjoy everything around me. It's like when I go to the beach and just sit in the sand watching the waves break. The sound just kind of let's me take my mind off all the stress and anxiety I might feel. I just get to be me."

The dancing lesson continues and for a slight second you think you might hear a rhythmic "Bé Bé Bé Bé..." getting louder and louder. You don't see anyone or anywhere the sound could be coming from, but it is definitely there. Before you know it a multitude of Flabébé pop up from the flower bed and begin their ballet. At least a dozen of them total. The colors of each of them different while their voices create a song like no other you have ever heard. It is almost like magic to your eyes and ears. A quick glance at Chantelle finds a small tear slipping from the corner of her eye as the smile on her face now seems permanently fixed.

"It's so beautiful," the Kalosian girl remarks. Even with Mary in the mix, there is something amazing about what you are seeing here. The dance seems to last forever and yet no time at all. That is until an unsuspecting black and white bear steps into the area and begins to pick flowers gathering them together in its paws like a bouquet. "Look over there. It's a Pancham," Chantelle says pointing out the little visitor. That's when you realize the song of the Flabébé is no longer playing. In fact the swarm of fairies is suddenly converging on an unsuspecting panda. By the looks of things they are not too happy with it uprooting their home.

What will you do?

Remy's Zone- Please respond in GreenArc Angel: Camille was doing quite well and it was easy to forget that this was her first battle. Still the Honedge had proven to be tricky and a bit devious. Those qualities had managed to keep it from completely falling victim to the powerful attacks your little numel had been dishing out. She may have a dopey look about her, but inside, Camille was proving to be rather talented when it came to battling. Now it was your turn to show just how clever you were. You aren't exactly sure if Camille is acknowledging your commands or if she is just bobbing her head, but no matter what the time had come to really go after the sword.

Camille looks to the sky and for a brief second almost looks like she has suddenly begun to daydream about the puffy white clouds overhead. However, she soon opens her mouth and fires a beam of light skyward. The clouds seem to dissipate as the rays of a Sunny Day now beat down upon you all. The honedge doesn't waste anytime taking advantage of Camille's distraction and once more slices and dices in a Furious Attack that manages to cut your little camel in five different places before it parries its way back. Camille definitely felt that one as she lets loose a scream of pain. It wasn't like she was close to being down for the count by any means, but she wasn't exactly looking fresh anymore. Her dopey eyes slanted downward in anger as she Slapped the ground sending a pile of Mud at the weapon. It almost looked like it would work to cover the blade and make it a little less aware of its surroundings. Almost. At the last second the Honegde turned to its side letting the narrow sharp edge of its blade face the oncoming assault. With a powerful swing it sliced through the mud letting it split into two pieces that harmlessly fell to the ground behind it. Still, the fact that it was mud some of it stuck to the metal causing it to lose a bit of its shine. The momentum of the blade continued on as it flipped in the air and smashed into Camille with its hilt knocking her backward like being Tackled where she slid along the ground leaving a trail of furrows in the mud behind her. That didn't stop the honedge at all as it continued its relentless assault flying quickly toward Camille whose body seems to erupt into fire for a moment before an Overheated red beam fires from her mouth squarely hitting the oncoming sword. It's impossible to see just how well the attack hit the honedge given the brightness of the impact and the small explosion that accompanied it. What you can see is Camille drop to her knees from tiredness. She would be alright, but that attack took a lot of her and any chance she might have to dodge whatever was coming was going to be in vain.

The area of impact soon clears. Yet you don't see the honedge anywhere. Could it have somehow dodged the attack? The question is moot as you catch a glimmer of light shimmering above. The sword spinning out of control as it sticks in the ground like a lawn dart. For a moment it just sits there swaying until finally it tips over and lays flat on the ground. Could it be that it is no longer able to battle? Or was this just another of its tricks?

What will you do?

Remy's Zone- Please respond in Greengmoyes:This was it. The time to gamble was upon you and one way or another this battle was going to end here and now. Neither pokemon was looking any too worse for the wear damage-wise although the Honedge was now paralyzed which gave you a distinct advantage. You issue your orders and Theta immediately begins charging up the energy in its body. Within moments an orb of pure electrical energy bursts forth in an Electro Ball and hits the Honedge whose movements are now noticeably sluggish. Still, that doesn't stop it from Attacking with a Fury as the blade whacks your magnemite four times almost as if it were playing pong with it. Even so, the attack seemed to do little physical damage. It mostly just threw Theta off for a few seconds which was still enough time for the magnetic pokemon to let loose a wave of electrical tendrils that Thundershocked the sword and scabbard. The weapon wobbles in the air momentarily as waves of electricity scatter across its body keeping it from moving. Theta uses this opportunity to try to confuse the enemy by letting loose a Supersonic beam of energy made up of small rings. The attack easily hits the sword which spins around and drives itself into the ground in its confusion.

The opportunity had come and you toss the Safari Ball at the Honedge with the hopes that this wouldn't be a mistake. The ball opens and sucks the weapon inside. Every second seems like forever as the ball hits the ground and wobbles once. For what feels like an eternity it sits motionless and yet no red light had appeared yet to show that the pokemon was captured. The ball wobbles again and sits still. Once more it wobbles this time more vigorously than before when without warning it stops completely. It lay on the ground unmoving. Seconds tick by as the moment is now. There would be no more wobbling. Either the pokemon was captured or it would get away. That's when the red light finally appeared and relief could fill your body.

Congratulations you have captured a Level 5 Female Honedge.

“Great job Alex!” Remy says with a smile, “Congratulations! That was pretty daring to use your pokeball so soon. However, this is where we are going to have to part ways. But don't think of this as the end. Think of it as a new beginning. Both for yourself and Honedge and for you and I as friends. I hope you had as much fun as I did.” Now all you had left to do was collect your new partner and move onto your next adventure wherever that takes you.

It was quite an enjoyable time updating you. I liked seeing the thought process of a scientist in action. You can now add Honedge’s data to your team and RP with it immediately upon replying to this post. Have fun!

Talon87: You know this needs to be done, and while your body is tense with nerves you try to hide it as best you can as your Mankey materialises from his Pokéball. The little primate is expressionless, his poker face giving away absolutely nothing which only serves to heighten your sense of trepidation. Kneeling down to meet Mankey at his level, you tell him of your plan to befriend Carbink and urge him to join you. Taking his time to respond he eventually walks beside you, still giving away nothing of his feelings.

Jean appears fascinated by the interaction between the two of you and deliberately lags behind, ensuring to remain a good few metres away so as not to agitate Mankey. He can see Celes is prepared to jump in should things get hairy and discreetly pulls her aside.

"I know you want to protect your trainer, and it is the trait of a loyal friend to want to protect those you care for, but Cyrus and Mankey need to work out their differences one on one if they are ever to shatter this icy wall between them," he explains, hoping she understands the importance of his words. "No matter what happens, we should not interfere or we may cause more harm than good."

Meanwhile, you've managed to coax Mankey into meeting Carbink and are starting to introduce yourself to the little Jewel Pokémon when you notice Mankey slowly but surely raising his arm. At first you're not quite sure you understand what is happening, and then you don't want to understand what is happening, but watch speechless as Mankey in a slow and deliberate motion raises his finger and pokes Carbink in the general vicinity of its chest, giving it one good firm shove. Horrified, several different possible scenarios of how to handle the situation run through your mind when you surprisingly register what for all intents and purposes is a giggle. Then Mankey pokes Carbink again, slowly and firmly, eliciting another giggle. He then bonks Carbink on the head with a little more grunt than you'd like to acknowledge. Carbink doesn't giggle this time, but glints in the sunlight as it begins to Harden. This induces a small grin from Mankey who looks up at you with a glint in his eye.

"You must be careful Cyrus. Mankey is testing you," Jean warns. "He knows you want to befriend the Carbink so is deliberate in his attempt to subtly challenge it instead. However you respond, you must be firm in your convictions..."

Cyrus gulped. Mankey had just bonked Carbink on the head. He watched with baited breath to see what would happen next. The Carbink glistened, its rocky exterior reflecting back a veil of sunlight. It didn't seem to want to attack Mankey, but it had quit giggling as well.

Cyrus turned his eyes towards Jean. The Kalosian trainer offered these words: "You must be careful, Cyrus. Mankey is testing you. He knows you want to befriend the Carbink so is deliberate in his attempt to subtly challenge it instead. However you respond, you must be firm in your convictions..." Cyrus's eyes fell to Jean's side; there he saw Celes rooted to the ground, appearing far more rigid than normal. Cyrus nodded once to Jean, then put up a hand to Celes, indicating, "It'll be okay." It was as much to assure himself as her as, turning back to face the unfolding scene, Cyrus wondered what to do.

"I want to show Mankey that I trust him," Cyrus said, "... but at the same time I wonder if I need to be firm with him. If I let him do as he pleases, will he misbehave? Or will he misbehave precisely because I haven't shown faith in him?" Cyrus was torn. Mankey's PokéBall, in danger of slipping out of Cyrus's sweaty palm, became clenched down on even more firmly. What to do, what to do, what to do ...

Cyrus closed his eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled, and opened his eyes. "I'm going to trust in Mankey," he decided. "Jean suggested that Carbink can handle this much. It's not giggling anymore," he noted, "but it doesn't seem like it's in urgent need of rescue either. I ... I don't want to interfere here." Cyrus took Mankey's PokéBall ... and returned it to his belt. For now, Cyrus would simply continue to watch.

Wyatt's Zone- Please respond in BluePest: The battle was in its final stages. Invidia was feeling the effects of using a number of powerful attacks back to back, while the Tyrunt seemed to be on its last legs from all the damage it had taken. Strategies ran through your mind as you thought about what moves might work best against the dino, when the idea to keep things simple occurred to you. Invidia nodded at your commands and took her position to await the final round to begin. The Tyrunt made an attempt at a roar, but it came out a little cracked in sound. Still, there was no doubt it was ready to go. It's taloned feet scratched at the ground a couple times before the dino charged toward your fighting blue frog. Invidia steeled herself waiting for the moment when the dino was in range to make her move. As expected the tyrunt lowered its head as it drew near. Invidia bent her knees and suddenly dropped down kicking out one of her legs tripping the dinosaur and dropping it to the ground where it slid past driven by its momentum. Before the rock type has a chance to even stop sliding Invidia spins around once more connecting her foot with the back of the dinosaur sending it flying across the ground in another direction where it tumbles along until it finally comes to a sliding stop. The little dinosaur lay quietly for a few seconds before somehow managing to start pushing itself up to its feet.

Despite her exhaustion, Invidia pressed forward. Unfazed by the dinosaur's charge, she dropped low and kicked it not once, but twice, to send it sprawling. There was a moment of tense silence as everyone watched it lay there in the dirt. Pest crossed her fingers, breath caught in her throat.

Then the Tyrunt stood up.

"Oh wow," Wyatt said. "It's really determined."

Pest gulped. Tyrunt might be on its last legs, but Invidia probably couldn't last much longer either. She racked her brain trying to figure out another strategy. Maybe another Low Sweep would keep it on the ground? Definitely not a Focus Blast, though. Invidia would appreciate not being so extremely drained.

The Tyrunt's maw opened and it prepared to let loose another squeaky roar ... and then it collapsed, sending a cloud of dust billowing up around where it had fallen. When the dust cleared, the little reptile lay still, eyes closed in a definite lack of consciousness.

It probably says something about Pest that her first instinct was to reach down and poke it. Luckily for her fingers, she resisted the urge.

"That ... was intense," she said, wiping her brow. She looked to Invidia, who was breathing heavily, and stretched out her hand for a high-five. The Croagunk considered this skeptically for a moment, before she relented and returned the gesture. Truly this was a victory for the ages.

Grasping the Safari Ball, Pest considered the Tyrunt again. "I don't know if you can hear me," she said, "but I'll say it anyway. You were a really great opponent. Because of your persistence and power ... and because of some bad luck on my part, yeah ... we came close to losing." She noticed Invidia's leer. "I'm not saying we were weak. When you can blast things solely from concentration, it goes without saying that you can kick butt. But you? We've never fought anything like you. And I mean that in the best way possible."

She gazed down at the dinosaur. Even after the battle, she still thought it was adorable.

"I'd be honored if you'd become a part of my team," she said at last. "You're a great fighter, and I'd love to help you become even greater. We're a ragtag bunch of misfits, I'll admit that ... but even that needs balance, you know? Some of my team members are a bit goofy, and they could use an awesome Pokemon like you to show them how it's done."

She tossed the ball forward and held her breath, hoping this would work. Had she been aware of anything else, she might have noticed that Invidia's gaze had softened considerably ...

Chantelle's Zone- Please respond in LemonChiffonsweetbbydoll: you were feeling pretty good about yourself making friends with a new pokemon when chaos ensued. The amaura was now chasing Snow around in circles around you. Chantelle giggled a bit and soon turned red faced as her face looked like that of someone who had just been caught with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar. “Sorry,” she quickly apologized as she held her hands up to her mouth to cover any lingering signs of amusement. As you try to think of different idea on how to handle the situation you can hear the two pokemon screaming. Snow in terror of being eaten and Amaura in frustration about not being able to catch the snowver.

Finally it dawns on you that if you can’t beat the dinosaur, maybe you can stop it by putting it to sleep. Calling out to Snow your plan the onion shaped pokemon starts to whistle a tune. At first it seems a bit choppy and out of sorts, but eventually she gets the hang of doing two things at once. The melody shifts from a frantic pace to something a little slower and more solemn. Almost like a lullaby. Both pokemon begin to visibly start slowing down eventually falling into a walking pattern. Amaura’s shouts now weaker and less enthusiastic than before until finally it falls to the ground and eventually lies down. Its eyes blinking rapidly as it fights off the urge to take a nap. It was to no avail, however, as the sandman finally finishes the job and the blue dino finds itself in the dream world.

What will you do?

Liza rolled her eyes, ignoring the fact Chantelle seemed to find what was going on rather amusing, while Liza still considered the whole thing a serious problem she too couldn't help but smile over what had happened...it helped of course that her plans didn't fall on deaf ears as she had instructed her Snover to put the Pokémon to sleep and soon Snow went to work, plucking a leaf from one of her hands she quickly placed the leaf over her mouth and began to play a lovely melody of music that slowly but surely was putting the extinct Dino to sleep.

A sigh of relief fell over Liza's lips as the pursuit came to a screeching halt. “Good work Snow!” The lass said addressing her very shaken up Pokemon...it was the first time Snow was ever mistaken for food...that had to scar you for life... she thought “You did a fantastic job. How about taking a good long rest in your Pokeball, okay~?” She tried saying with an upbeat attitude before finally retrieving her Snover inside the safety of her Pokeball.

With only one last thing to take care of, Liza looked at the peacefully sleeping dinosaur, “Well I don't know about you Chantelle but this looks like the best time to catch her, wouldn't you say?” sure it was going to be a little difficult explaining to Amaura that Pokémon weren't food, they were friends. But besides that...yawnnnnnn...how hard was going to be to raise a Pokémon that hadn't existed in over a millennium...yawnnnnnWhy do I feel so tired? the trainer wondered as she could also hear snoring coming from behind her. She whirled around only now noticing during the song that Snow had played that her Charmander and Litwick she had asked to stay back had fallen asleep next to each other in a patch of grassy snow. If only she had a camera to take a picture! She smiled warmly before catching herself yawning again. She couldn't be sure if it was due to the weather and how cold it was, or because of how beautiful and hypnotic the snow looked as if fell from the sky or whether it was because of the pretty melody Snow had played earlier but Liza was finding it difficult to stand anymore. Eventually she sunk to the ground and took a seat in the fluffy powdery snow it wouldn't hurt to take a nap too, right? she thought as she nodded off to dreamland with the Safari Ball in her hand, slipping through her finger tips, landing on the floor and finally rolling away towards the blue dinosaur...

MarbleZone: The pressure builds as you can feel the end of the battle approaching. Doubt fills your mind about the outcome, yet you manage to keep it together and come up with what you feel is a sound strategy. Bud is still going strong after his evolution, so the concerns are all about the tiny bird escaping. Although given the way the avian opponent is barely able to stand, even that seems unlikely.

After a few words of encouragement you give your Ivysaur the plan and he doesn't waste any time implementing it. A wave of green energy shoots forth and Venoshocks the little robin before it can even get out of the way knocking it back to flop and roll across the ground. For a moment it lay there and you wonder if maybe Bud might have knocked it out with that attack only to see the Fletchling stagger up on its feet with a determined look on its face. It's pretty obvious that this particular bird does not give up easily. Even with it barely able to stand somehow it manages to rush toward Bud with surprising quickness Tackling the seed pokemon hard enough to trip him up and cause him to stumble to the ground.

With Bud on the ground your worst fear comes to fruition. The Fletchling takes to the air. You can't be sure if it is trying to escape or if it is going to attack from the air again, but you can tell Bud isn't going to take any chances of letting you down. The Ivysaur doesn't even stand up. Instead he raises his head and spits a number of Seeds like Bullets at the tiny bird. You hear the loud squawk of the robin as seed after seed hit. Before you can even blink the Fletchling falls to the ground thumping hard as it hits. You hope that it might get up one more time just as it had done times before, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen this time. Instead the Fletchling just lays there unconscious.

"Oooo! You better try to catch it before it wakes up if you want it," Chantelle says excitedly. It's pretty obvious that she enjoyed watching the battle by the way her eyes are twinkling.

What will you do?

As the final stage of the battle unfolded, Levin watched in silence and bated breath. Somehow, the robin had managed to get back up after Bud's Venoshock and, through sheer willpower alone, Tackled the Ivysaur hard enough to floor him!

Such resolve in a wild Pokemon... this battle should be over by now but it's hitting Bud harder than before!

With the Grass-Type knocked down, Fletchling took to the skies again - Levin's greatest fear took form before his eyes. It could just mean to attack from higher up, but what if it had decided to flee in the end? After all their hard work and no small amount of luck, they couldn't let it end like this! Fortunately, the Saffron-native had foreseen this possibility, and his partner knew exactly what to do when the time came.

- It let its guard down! Go for it Bud!

Taking aim at the red speckle in the sky, the Ivysaur spit out a stream of seeds upwards; the Grass-energy bullets found their mark, hitting Fletchling repeatedly until its wings gave out and it came crashing back down with a thud! Min, always the proper lady, covered her eyes; despite hating the way the bird had swooped down on her earlier and claimed her as its own, as if she were its rightful property, it was still painful to watch someone take hits like those. Regardless of how it ended, she made a mental note to heal the poor Fletchling with her special Softboiled in the end. Considering the beating the robin took after finding her, she figured she owed it that much.

"Oooo! You better try to catch it before it wakes up if you want it!"

Chantelle cheered him on as his eyes laid firmly on the grounded bird, fully expecting it to simply get back up yet again and continue to struggle against impossible odds. But at long last, its body seemed to finally have given up! It wasn't until then that the young man realized he'd been clutching something in his hand with all of his strength; uncurling his fingers, he took a long look at the Safari Ball in his palm...

One shot is all I have. If this fails, the Safari is over and Fletchling flies away for good... and who knows if I'll ever run into another one again! Still, we did all we could. Bud gave it his all to win this battle and give me this opening... I won't fail him!

How could he, after all the Ivysaur had done for him? After all the anguish and doubt his partner had endured due to a misconception he'd completely failed to realize, and that had caused his dear friend so much unnecessary suffering? But it was all out in the open now, and Bud had come to terms with the truth - that he was loved, someone Levin depended on and appreciated!

- Now it's my turn to make you proud Bud! I'll show you!!

He enlarged the Safari Ball in his hand and hurled it right at the unconscious Fletchling. They'd been blessed with incredibly good fortune throughout the entire Safari... all he needed now was one last stroke of luck!

Wyatt's Zone- Please respond in BlueJolteonjak: "Oui my friend!" Wyatt responds to your calling for assistance and quickly moves over to you and the hole. The Clauncher continued to watch quietly as you worked to dig around the hole a bit. It didn't move. Whether that was intentional or the cause of its predicament was unknown, but a betting man would probably assume the latter. A heavy wheeze was about all the response the Clauncher seemed to give you when you addressed it. It didn't take long for you, Wyatt, and Ledyba to dig around the little crustacean enough to be able to reach in so you could lift it up and possibly out. The sling Taran had made was close enough that you probably wouldn't even have to get off your knees to set the little blue Clauncher in it.

"Alright, it looks like we are set. It should be smooth sailing from here," Wyatt remarked as he looked to you for the signal of how to proceed. Suddenly a chill spikes through your spine as a low moan fills the air.

"Ooooo.... Oooooo!" The moan seems to get louder, but not really any closer. Whatever was causing it definitely wasn't making it sound like it was in pain. It was more of a haunting melody than anything.

What will you do?

“Great, Wyatt, thanks for helping,” Chad was relieved to get more help. The trio continued to work fast but still kept calm. After a short time, they managed to dig a large enough hole around Clauncher, that it looked like Chad could reach his hands in and free the Water Gun Pokémon.

“I’m going to reach my hands in and see what’s keeping Clauncher stuck,” Chad said determined to get it out. Clauncher could only manage some heavy breathing as a response. “Ok Clauncher, I’m going to be reaching my hands in to get you free. It might hurt, but I promise it’ll be over soon.”

Just as Chad was about to reach in the hole, he and the others heard a spine-chilling moan. At first it was a low sound, but the moan eventually got louder. “What is that?” Chad inquired looking at Wyatt. He had hoped for an answer. “Whatever it is, I think it’s just trying to scare us. Ledyba, Taran, stand guard please. I don’t want any distractions.”

Remy's Zone- Please respond in GreenGemini Spark: With a definite type disadvantage facing you, the idea of maybe spooking the honedge away seemed as good as any. Swapping out your White Flute for your Black one, you begin to play a rather haunting melody. The air around you almost seems to go still as the tune lofts through the air. Froakie’s grip on your leg tightens considerably and it seems clear that if the little frog weren’t so afraid to move, it would have scampered off by now. Fortunately, you seem to be the safest place for the amphibian despite your dark music making. The Honedge meanwhile seems to float calmly in the air before you. It gives no indication of wanting to attack or wanting to leave. It just seems to be listening in a motionless state. At least for a little bit.

Without warning the weapon pokemon spins in its place and begins to glow in a purple hue. Remy noticeably steps back a couple steps at this movement stating quietly, “It just used Sword’s Dance. I think you might be inspiring it to be more terrifying than it already is. This could get bad…” Still, the honedge makes no move toward you or any of your traveling companions. At least not as long as you are still playing…

What will you do?

Perhaps the spooky melody Hyrem was playing with his Black Flute didn't affect Honedge, or maybe it just didn't hear the music being played (it would help IF A FLOATING GHOST SWORD HAD EARS, DUMMY!). Whatever the case, it didn't seem like the music affected Honedge in any way at first as it hovered there, not reacting in any way. Fortunately, Froakie didn't seem scared off by the music either; instead, it clung to his pant leg, surprisingly believing the human who played music as the safest one to be with. That's right, Froakie, stay with me... he thought as he kept playing.

Suddenly, the Honedge begins spinning vertically before it glows a bright purple. “It just used Swords Dance," said Remy, taking a few more steps back than he did before. "I think you might be inspiring it to be more terrifying than it already is. This could get bad…”

No, wait... Hyrem thought again, coming to a sudden realization. Despite the fact it used a stat-boosting attack, the cursed blade didn't make any offensive motion after that. And a Swords Dance, while also an attack, was still, for all intents and purposes, a dance. "Could it be...?" he said softly to himself. On a hunch, he continued playing his Black Flute, this time with a song that wasn't as haunting as the last one, though it was still a fairly creepy tune. He began to wonder once again; Froakie stood with him through one creepy song, but two? And Honedge, what if his hunch was wrong about it too? It could've just been an assumption he had in his head. Maybe... he shouldn't have done that.

swampertforever: As Bryon explains Eevee’s actions and suggests that you made a good impression on it you chuckle feeling up to the challenge knowing that it would make you even better friends in the end. You decide to respond to Eevee before it changed its mind and encourage it to hide offering your Pokemon the chance to either help look or to hide as well. Eevee giggles and bounds off into the tall grass hidden from view, Blue shares a look with you and runs off too wanting to play. Red stays by your side and you ruffle his hair affectionately glad that you had a partner in this game and close your eye, Red following suit and Byron checks to make sure neither of you are peeking as you begin to count. You reach ten and open your eyes giving the surroundings a quick look but the two Pokemon were out of sight, it was very quiet only the sound of your breathing and Red grunting as he too searched for his brother and the Eevee. Well standing still wasn’t going to get you very far and so with a look to Byron who gave you thumbs up you start towards the tall grass hoping to find both Blue and Eevee. You had the advantage of height and so could scan the immediate environment and Red was small enough to be covered by the grass searching from within. You walked through the grass for 5 minutes when you see Red pop up in the distance pointing excitedly towards the lake. You quickly make your way over to him and he cups his ears signalling for you to listen. You concentrate and hear a soft splash in the water and wonder if it was Blue, Eevee or maybe another wild Pokemon. Red creeps out and points to a small rock formation and you make your way round to it poking your head around and grinning at the sight of Blue desperately trying to keep his feet out of the water but he was slipping on the wet mud and he yelps in surprise at being found slipping into the water with a loud splash. Red rolls on the floor laughing and you fish Blue out of the lake and he shakes off the water soaking you in the process.

Red calms down enough to start playing with Blue before you remind them that you still needed to find Eevee. Blue shuffles his feet and points towards a crop of large flowering bushes; it seems that he has an idea where it ran off to. You all make you way over there and spot a patch of cream fur poking out of the bush. Red and Blue hang back as you slowly approach and pair of brown eyes twinkle from within the bush. Before you can pull the shrubbery back Eevee leaps out at you landing on your chest and giggling happily it licks you cheek before pressing its nose to the Safari Ball you still held in your hand. It’s sucked inside and pings almost instantly signifying capture.

Congratulations. You have captured a Level 05 Male Eevee.

Bryon claps as he approaches you. “Well done mon ami, I do believe that you are already great friends with Eevee and that friendship will grow even more as you travel together.” He says with a smile but he soon frowns. “I’m afraid though that now you have made a new friend that our time together here is over. It was a pleasure to meet you and I hope we keep in touch,” he says as he leads you out of his zone. As you look back at Byron he waves before walking back into his zone leaving you to look down at the Safari Ball in your hand holding your new friend. Blue and Red both had similar smiles on their faces, this had been a good day after all!

You can add Eevee’s data to your registration post and start RPing with him right away. Congratulations on the capture ^-^

Chantelle's Zone- Please respond in LemonChiffonKinindra: The journey so far had been rather upbeat and pleasant. The joking between yourself and Chantelle brought with it an ease that just seemed to make everything that much comfortable. Almost like you had been friends for a long time. Granted she did remind you of someone else, but there were a few differences. The story of your first adventure manages to stir up memories and emotions within you that one would say were less than happy. Still, without those memories you never would have met Sundsance and that would have been a shame given how close the two of you have become. Chantelle shows signs of empathy upon hearing your tale. There was n pity in her look, just one that seemed to relay that she was sorry you had to go through such a difficult time. It was soon after that Sundance lightened the mood with a little slapstick in the form of headbutt. The weight of the moment before seemed to lift and things had gone back to safer feeling of camaraderie. Everything seemed to be going well until Chantelle noticed a Fletchling above.

While your mind knew it was just a tiny little bird, a powerful part of your subconscious was reminded of a bird of prey and soon that subconscious began to take over. Fear began to creep into your soul as you dropped to your knees. "Kin? Kin?! Are you alright? What's wrong?" you can hear the concerned voice of Chantelle asking, but she may have been a hundred miles away by this point. Sundance however, was right there and ready to take action. Even if his partner could not.

Leaping off your shoulder the little Cherubi unleashed a seed that shot forth toward the Fletchling circling above. To say the attack was unexpected would be an understatement. The tiny bird squawked as the seed hit it and began to throw it off its flight pattern. Vines soon ripped their way out of the seed and wrapped themselves around the small robin restricting its wings and causing it to crash in a puff of dust into the ground. Sundance seems to be rather pleased that his plan worked exactly as he had hoped, but this battle was jut beginning. If the intention was to get the Fletchling's attention, it definitely worked. The small bird stood up and Growled at Sundance sending a shiver through the cherubi's body and giving it a small amount of pause about what it just got itself into. Still, his partner was counting on him. That was the drive that kept Cherubi going and that was what was going to help him defeat this bird. He would win this battle for his master.

The Fletchling glared at Cherubi. The battle lines had now been drawn. The two pokemon faced off waiting for just the right moment to begin their assaults. One would stand. One would fall. It was that simple.

Chantelle placed a hand lightly on your shoulder and calmly said, "Kin... you need to snap out of this. Sundance is about to battle that Fletchling. You can't let him do it alone. He needs his partner's help if he is going to win. He needs you."